Trump hikes tariffs on Canadian imports over Reagan ad

Trump Increases Tariffs on Canadian Goods

Donald Trump announced a 10% increase in tariffs on goods imported from Canada after the province of Ontario aired an anti-tariff advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan. The US president criticized the advert as a "fraud" and expressed displeasure at Canadian officials for not removing it before the World Series baseball championship.

Ontario's premier agreed to take down the ad to allow trade talks with the US to proceed, but it would still run in the US over the weekend. Canada is the only G7 country that has not reached a deal with the US since Trump initiated steep tariffs on goods from major trading partners.

Trump stated that he was raising the tariff on Canada by 10% while traveling to Asia on Saturday. Tariffs are paid by the importing companies, not the exporters. Three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the US, with Ontario being a key hub for Canada's automobile manufacturing.

The US has already imposed a 35% levy on all Canadian goods, with sector-specific levies on metals and automobiles. US-Canada trade minister Dominic LeBlanc expressed readiness to continue discussions with American counterparts for the benefit of workers and families in both countries.

The Ontario government-sponsored advert quoting Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs led to tensions in US-Canada trade talks. The Ronald Reagan Foundation criticized the ad for misrepresenting Reagan's address and not seeking permission to use the footage. The minute-long advert includes excerpts from Reagan's address on foreign trade.

Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will be attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia but are not scheduled to meet. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the tariff escalation through negotiation.

Ontario used the World Series to criticize Trump's tariffs, with Premier Doug Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom making light-hearted bets on social media. They joked about tariffs and made pledges related to their respective regions if their favored baseball team wins.